1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to flexible elastomeric articles, for example, gloves and condoms, processes for their manufacture and formers for use in the manufacturing processes.
2. Scope of the Prior Art
The manufacture of elastomeric gloves by vacuum molding is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,124,807. The methods described therein comprise the vacuum molding and heat sealing of two sheets of a thermoplastic elastomeric material. However, gloves made from this method will generally possess one or more seams which may be a source of rupture or leakage.
More conventional methods of manufacturing synthetic. elastomeric gloves which overcomes the problem of having seams comprises solvent dipping of an appropriately shaped former into a suitable polymer solvent mix, withdrawing the polymer coated former and then drying off the solvent before stripping the glove therefrom. There are a number of disadvantages with this method, in particular the use of large amounts of solvent is undesirable. Equally, the method of dipping is both time consuming and costly since it is necessary to have a series of formers for dipping which cannot be rapidly reused. Additionally, gloves produced by this method are likely to have residual solvent in them which is toxic and therefore an unacceptable containment.
Blow molding of rigid plastic articles is known, eg. in the manufacture of rigid plastic bottles. However, such techniques have not been used with thin walled flexible elastomeric articles.
WO89/11258 discloses condoms comprising a blow formed tubular main sheath. However, WO89/11258 does not disclose the use of such technology in relation to gloves.